Method and system for combining multiple area-of-interest video codestreams into a combined video codestream

ABSTRACT

A method and system of transmitting a plurality of area-of-interest video codestreams is described. A first video codestream and one or more second video codestreams are generated from a plurality of large format images that are captured. The first video codestream has a first plurality of areas-of-interest selected from the plurality of large format images and the one or more second video codestream have at least a second plurality of areas-of-interest from the same plurality of large format images. The first video codestream is generated at a first frame rate and each of the second video codestreams is generated at a second frame rate. The first and second video codestreams are combined to obtain a combined video codestream. The combined video codestream is then transmitted to a computer system that regenerates the first video codestream and the one or more second video codestreams at their respective frame rates.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/192,292, filed on Jun. 24, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/232,565, filed on Sep. 14, 2011 (now U.S. Pat.No. 9,407,876), which claims the benefit of U.S. Application No.61/382,823, filed on Sep. 14, 2010, the entire contents of theseapplications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to image data management and inparticular to a method and system for encoding and decoding multiplewide-area surveillance area-of-interest video codestreams.

Discussion of Related Art

A very large image generally contains a plurality of pixels, forexample, several hundreds of megapixels (Mp) or several thousands ofmegapixels. Each pixel has one, two or more bands. Each band has acertain color depth or bit depth. For example, an RGB color-based imagehas 3 bands, the red band (R), the green band (G) and the blue band (B).Each of the R, G and B bands can have a depth of 8 bits or more. Hence,in this example, each pixel can have a total bit depth of 24 bits ormore. In another example, an infra-red (IR) image has 1-band, theIR-band. This band can have a bit depth of 12-bits. For the purpose ofcomputational convenience, it can be stored within 16-bits. Hence, inthis example, each pixel can have a total bit depth of 16-bits.

An image sensor can be used to capture a series of images, each imagehaving several hundred megapixels. The images may be captured insequence, for example at a reasonably constant frequency (e.g., 2 Hz).Each image (i.e., each still image) in the sequence or series of imagesmay have one or more distinct bands and may cover any part of theelectromagnetic spectrum that can be captured by the image sensor. Theimage sensor may be a single sensor or a combination or a matrix ofmultiple sensors arranged to generate a single image.

The captured series of images are referred to interchangeably aswide-area surveillance imagery, wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) orwide-area persistent surveillance imagery.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of combining aplurality of area-of-interest (AOI) video codestreams. The methodincludes generating, by a computer server, a plurality of videocodestreams, each video codestream comprising a plurality of AOIs of aplurality of images. The method further includes combining, e.g., by amultiplexer in communication with the computer server, the plurality ofvideo codestreams into a combined video codestream and transmitting thecombined video codestream. A client computer can perform an extractionprocess on the received, combined video codestream, such asdemultiplexing operations, to regenerate the plurality of videocodestreams.

Although the various steps of the method are described in the aboveparagraphs as occurring in a certain order, the present application isnot bound by the order in which the various steps occur. In fact, inalternative embodiments, the various steps can be executed in an orderdifferent from the order described above or otherwise herein.

These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the presentinvention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of therelated elements of structure and the combination of parts and economiesof manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing description and the appended claims with reference to theaccompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification,wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in thevarious figures. In one embodiment of the invention, the structuralcomponents illustrated herein are drawn to scale. It is to be expresslyunderstood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose ofillustration and description only and are not intended as a definitionof the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in theclaims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts schematically wide-area surveillance imagery, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows schematically an example of an AOI within a very largeimage (W-pixels by H-pixels), according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a schematic representation of a large format image,according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows an example of a single video codestream generated from asequence of areas-of-interest (AOIs) from one collection of very largeimages, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts schematically a plurality of codestreams, according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a time diagram of a process for providing a video codestream,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method to multiplex multiple videocodestreams into a multiplexed codestream, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a process for generating and transmitting amultiplexed video codestream, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts schematically wide-area surveillance imagery, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. The wide-area surveillanceimagery comprises a plurality of very large images. Each very largeimage is W-pixels wide by H-pixels tall. In addition each very largeimage has N-bands (where N is an integer greater than 0) and each bandhas a bit-depth B (where B is an integer greater than 0). An example ofvery large images can be images having 10,000 pixel wide (W-pixels) by9,600 pixel tall (H-pixels), a total size of 96 Mp. Another example ofvery large images can be images having 12,000 pixel wide (W-pixels) by12,000 pixel tall (H-pixels), a total size of 144 Mp. Another example ofvery large images can even be images 40,000 pixel wide (W-pixels) and40,000 pixel tall (H-pixels), a total size of 1600 Mp.

The plurality of very large images are collected by one or more sensorsmultiple times per second (H Hz) over a period of time T. H and T aregreater than zero and are real numbers (H, T>0 and H, Tε

). A group of very large images is considered a collection of images.Such very large images cannot be practically transmitted or visualizedin their entirety using existing techniques on a display device. Presentcommercial display devices have a pixel width (D_(w)) and a pixel height(D_(H)) that are substantially smaller than the pixel width (W) of theimage and the pixel height (H) of the image, respectively (D_(w)<<W andD_(H)<<H). In addition, current commercial display devices can displayD_(N) bands at a bit-depth of D_(B). The number of bands (D_(N)) in thedisplay device can be the same or different from the number of bands (N)within the image. Similarly, the bit-depth (D_(B)) of each band in thedisplay device can also be the same or different from the bit-depth (B)of a band within the image.

In order to display a large format or size image on a smaller sizedisplay device, the size of the large format image should be reduced,for example, by zooming out of the large format image. However, thisinvolves reducing the number of pixels within the large format image andthus degrading the resolution of the image.

In order to display a large format image at complete pixel size (e.g.,substantially 100% pixel size), an area of interest (AOI) or a viewportmust be extracted from the large format image to be displayed on thedisplay device.

FIG. 2 shows schematically an example of an AOI within a very largeimage (W-pixels by H-pixels), according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. The size of the AOI is substantially the same as the size ofthe display device (D_(w)-pixels by D_(H)-pixels). If the number ofbands (N) within the large format image is different from the number ofbands (D_(N)) of the display device, a conventional method can beapplied to generate (D_(N)) bands from one or more of the (N) bands inthe large format image to display a portion (AOI) of the large formatimage on the display device. Similarly, if the bit-depth (B) within thelarge format image is different from the bit-depth (D_(B)) of thedisplay device, a conventional method can be applied to convert thebit-depth (B) into the bit-depth (D_(B)) of the display device so as todisplay the portion (AOI) of the large format image on the displaydevice.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a schematic representation of a large format image,according to another embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the large format image comprises a set of smaller imageshaving a pixel width (S_(w)) and a pixel height (S_(H)). Each smallerimage is substantially smaller in pixel width and pixel height than thelarge format image (S_(w)>0, S_(H)>0, W>>S_(w), H>>S_(H)). The pixelwidth (S_(w)) and the pixel height (S_(H)) of each smaller image can bethe same, less or greater than, respectively, the pixel width of thedisplay (D_(w)) and the pixel height of the display (D_(H)). Eachsmaller image has the same number of bands and the same bit-depth as thelarge format image. Each smaller image is acquired at substantially thesame time as the other smaller images in the same set of smaller imagesof a large format image. Each smaller image can be combined with theother smaller images in the same set of smaller images to create orgenerate a mosaic of images within the large format image, as shown inFIG. 3A or as shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a single video codestream generated from asequence of AOIs from one collection of very large images, according toan embodiment of the present invention. In order to display or playbacka sequence of AOIs from multiple very large images in a collection(e.g., collection of large format images shown in FIG. 1), the sequenceof AOIs can be encoded into a single video codestream. Each AOI isselected from a corresponding very large image. For example, AOI₁ can beselected from large format image LFI₁, AOI₂ can be selected from largeformat image LFI₂, etc. By arranging AOI₁, AOI₂, etc., in sequence, avideo codestream V can be generated. Although AOI₁, AOI₂, etc. aredescribed being generated as video codestream V in the order the largeformat images LFI₁, LFI₂ are acquired, AOI₁, AOI₂, etc. can also bearranged arbitrarily in any desired order, for example AOI₂ then AOI₁,etc., to be displayed as video codestream V. For example, the videocodestream V can be generated from AOIs (e.g., AOI₁, AOI₂, etc.)extracted from images (LFI₁, LFI₂, etc.) starting at time T₁ and endingat time T₂, where time T₁ may or may not correspond to the time ofgenerating or acquiring LFI₁. Moreover, the video codestream V may ormay not contain AOIs from one or more of the large format images (LFIs).For example, the video codestream V can be generated from AOIs extractedfrom every other captured large format image in the collection of largeformat images. Therefore, the video codestream V is generated at a rateH_(v) Hz that can be equal or different from the rate H Hz of capturingor acquiring the collection of large format images (LFIs).

FIG. 5 depicts schematically a plurality of codestreams V₁, V₂, V₃, . .. , V_(N), according to an embodiment of the present invention. Thecodestreams V₁, V₂, V₃, . . . V_(N) may have equal number of AOIs ordifferent number of AOIs. In one embodiment, each video codestream V₁,V₂, V₃, . . . V_(N) can be generated from a plurality or sequences ofAOIs within the plurality of very large images. For example, videocodestream V₁ can be generated from plurality or sequence of AOIs atlocation 1 within the plurality of large format images, codestream V₂can be generated from plurality or sequence of AOIs at location 2 withinthe large format images, etc. In addition, each video codestream V₁, V₂,V₃, . . . V_(N) can be generated starting at the same time (i.e., at thesame large format image) or at different times (i.e., at different largeformat images). For example, video codestream V₁ can be generatedstarting by AOI₁ in LFI₁ while video codestream V₂ can be generatedstarting by AOI₂ in LFI₂. Similarly, each video codestream V₁, V₂, V₃, .. . V_(N) can be ended at the same time or at different time.

FIG. 6 is a time diagram of a process for providing a video codestream,according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment,the process can be implemented, for example, as a web service. In oneembodiment, a user associated with a client computer 10 sends a request12 to a server 14 for wide area motion imagery (WAMI) areas of interest(AOIs). In one embodiment, one or more clients C₁ (1≦i≦N) may send therequest to server 14. The request 12 may contain parameters indicating aspecific collection of large format images (LFIs) from where the WAMIAOIs will be extracted and a start time T₁ and end time T₂. Uponreceiving the request 12, the server 14 initiates a video codestream andtransmits the WAMI AOIs video codestream at 16 to a multiplexer 18. Inone embodiment, multiplexer 18 is provided as hardware or softwareapplication within server 14, as depicted in FIG. 6. However, as it canbe appreciated, in another embodiment, the multiplexer 18 can also beprovided as hardware or software application outside the server 14. Theserver 14 performs this operation for multiple WAMI AOI videocodestreams. The multiplexer 18 multiplexes the plurality or multiplevideo codestreams and transmits at 19 the multiple video codestreams asa multiplexed video codestream to demultiplexer 20. In one embodiment,the multiplexed video codestream is continuous and the format of allmultiple video codestreams is the same. In one embodiment, themultiplexer 18 is continuously multiplexing and transmitting themultiple video codestreams including the one requested by C_(i), as amultiplexed video codestream. The demultiplexer 20 demultiplexes at 21the multiplexed or combined video codestream into the original pluralityof video codestreams. In one embodiment, the demultiplexer 20 isprovided as hardware or software application outside the client C_(i)10, as depicted in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, the demultiplexer 20 is incommunication with the client C_(i) 10. In one embodiment, the clientC_(i) 10 receives the i^(th) video codestream and consumes the videocodestream. Each client C_(i) 10 consumes its requested videocodestream. In one embodiment, if a client C_(i) 10 decides to alter aspatial and/or temporal parameter(s) of the AOIs, i.e., change aposition of the requested AOIs or a start time T₁ for extracting theAOIs from the LFIs, the client 10 sends a change of the request of WAMIAOI 22 to the server 14. The server 14 then processes the change of therequest 22 by moving to a new AOI in the collection of LFIs, the new AOIsatisfying the altered spatial and/or temporal parameter(s). In oneembodiment, the server 14 while processing the altered request 22 andupdating the AOIs may meanwhile continue sending or transmitting at 24the WAMI AOIs to the multiplexer 18 as an i^(th) video codestream. Inone embodiment, the server continuously updates the AOIs. In oneembodiment, the multiplexer 18 continues multiplexing the videocodestreams and transmitting at 26 the video codestreams as multiplexedvideo codestream. In one embodiment, a frame rate at which the i^(th)video codestream is sent need not be the same as a frame rate at whichthe AOIs are updated within the i^(th) video codestream. In oneembodiment, metadata regarding the AOIs may be embedded within thei^(th) video codestream. For example, metadata can be embedded in avideo codestream as audio, close captioned information, or key lengthvalue (KLV) fields. The multiplexed video codestream is sent todemultiplexer 20 and is demultiplexed at 28 into video codestream forclient consumption. As a result, the client 10 is able to receive asequence of images or video from a different location in the collectionof LFIs as requested by the client 10.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method to multiplex multiple videocodestreams into a multiplexed codestream, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. For example, video codestream V₁ may be capturedat a rate of Hv₁ Hz, at 30, V₂ may be captured at a rate of Hv₂ Hz, at32, V₃ may be captured at a rate of Hv₃ Hz, at 34, . . . and V_(N) maybe captured at Hv_(n) Hz, at 36. The capture rates Hv₁, Hv₂, Hv₃, etc.can be equal or different. The video codestreams V₁, V₂, . . . , V_(N)are multiplexed in a multiplexed video codestream at a first location(e.g., sender location), at 38. The individual video codestreams areencoded into a bit rate of the multiplexed video codestream. Therefore,the bit rate of the original video codestreams V₁, V₂, V_(N) may have tobe modified. For example, the bit rate of the original video codestreamsmay be reduced or dialed down so as to fit into the bit rate of themultiplexed video codestream.

For example, if there are five original video codestreams V₁, V₂, . . ., V₅ and each video codestream is at a bit rate of 5 Mbps, 25 Mbps maybe needed to transmit all five video codestreams V₁, V₂, . . . , V₅ as amultiplexed video codestream. However, if only 10 Mbps of bandwidth isavailable for transmitting the multiplexed video codestream, the bitrate of the original video codestreams may need to be modified to “fit”into the 10 Mbps limited bandwidth. If, for example, two of the fiveoriginal video codestreams are very important to the user and thus areset to have the best possible quality as requested by the user while thethree remaining video codestreams are considered by the user to be ofless importance and thus may have a lower quality, the 10 Mbps bandwidthcan be divided into 4 Mbps for the two important video codestreams andthe less important video codestream can be set to a lower bit rate of700 Kbps, 650 Kbps and 650 Kbps. Therefore, while feeding the five videocodestreams, the bit rate of each video codestream can be dynamicallymodified. As a result, the bit rate of each original video codestreamcan be controlled as desired such that the sum of all bit rates of eachof the original video codestream is substantially equal to an allowedbit rate of bandwidth for the multiplexed video codestream.

The multiplexed video codestream can then be transmitted at 40. In oneembodiment, the multiplexed video codestream can be transmitted via link41, such as via cable broadcast channels, fiber optics channels, orwireless channels. At a second location (e.g., receiver location), themultiplexed video codestream is received, at 42. The multiplexed videocodestream can then be demultiplexed, at 44, to regenerate the originalcodestreams V₁ at frame rate Hv₁, at 46, V₂ at frame rate Hv₂, at 48, V₃at frame rate Hv₃, at 50 . . . , and V_(N) at frame rate Hv_(n), at 52.The video codestreams V₁, V₂, V₃, . . . , V_(N) can then be played backas wide-area surveillance AOI videos on one or more displays. In oneembodiment, V₁, V₂, V₃, . . . V_(N) can be played on a plurality ofdisplays D₁, D₂, D₃, . . . D_(N), where V₁ is played on D₁, V₂ is playedon D₂, V₃ is played on D₃, . . . and V_(N) is played on D_(N). Inanother embodiment, V₁, V₂, V₃, . . . V_(N) can be played on a number ofdisplays smaller than the number of video codestreams. In which case,one or more video codestreams, for example V₁ and V₂, can be played on asame display.

For example, by using the present multiplexing scheme to send aplurality of video codestreams and then demultiplexing to reconstructthe original video codestreams, available links or broadcast channelssuch as cable, optical fiber, wireless, etc. can be used fortransmission of the multiplexed video codestream without requiringadditional infrastructure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a process for generating and transmitting amultiplexed video codestream, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. Upon receiving a request (e.g., a HTTP request) from a client82, the multiplexed video codestream 84 is generated from a sequence orvideo of areas of interest AOIs from one WAMI dataset 86 multiplexedusing multiplexer 87 with other sequences or videos from other areas ofinterest AOIs from other WAMI datasets. The multiplexed video codestream84 is transmitted to demultiplexer 88. The demultiplexer 88 receives themultiplexed video codestream 84 and demultiplexes the multiplexed videocodestream 84 into the original video codestreams so that each videocodestream can be exploited by the client that requested the videocodestream. For example, one or more video codestreams (e.g., V₁, V₂ andV₃) may be sent to a client 82 that requested these video codestreamswhile other video codestreams (e.g., V₄, V₅, etc. . . . ) may be sent torespective clients that requested the video codestreams. The content andformat of each video codestream through a link 90 between the consumerof the video or user and a producer or server of the video 92 can becontrolled.

In one embodiment, the server 92 of each video codestream is able tochange the AOI 94, and/or the rate at which the AOI 94 is updated intothe video codestream. For example, if the client 82 has “move left,right, up or down” buttons and “zoom in, zoom out” buttons, thesebuttons can be used to modify the AOI 94 that gets displayed in thevideo codestream. Other buttons may also be provided to the user orclient to “flip the AOIs faster or slower” in the video. Thisinformation is conveyed back to the server 92 by the client as one ormore parameters within a request 80. Each client requesting one or morevideo codestreams is able to change its specified AOI 94 and/or the rateat which the specified AOI 94 is updated into the one or more videocodestreams that each client requested. Hence, each client is able tocontrol independently from other clients its requested video codestream.The server or servers 92 can execute the request of each client C₁.

By controlling the AOIs, the client 82 controls the final bit rate ofthe resulting video codestream. For example, for one of several WAMI AOIvideo codestreams being multiplexed by multiplexer 87, if the sourceWAMI is being updated at the rate of 2 frames per second in a 30 FPSvideo code stream, the image update is about only twice a second. As aresult, 15 frames of the video codestream are copies of one frame (oneframe extracted from the two frames per second WAMI). Hence, a lower bitrate can be used while still obtaining a decent video quality since someframes are copies of one or two images. However, if the client requestsfor the AOIs to be updated faster, for example at 15 frames per secondin a 30 fps video, each frame in the video codestream can only duplicatea frame AOI in the WAMI once. As a result, the bit rate of the outputvideo codestream may have to be increased to counterbalance the fasterupdate rate so as not to deteriorate the image video codestream qualityand obtain a good image data for display.

In the 2 fps WAMI to 30 fps video codestream case, a frame in the 2frames per second is repeated fifteen times. That is frame 1 is repeatedfifteen times and frame 2 is also repeated fifteen times. For example,when the 30 fps video codestream is compressed, due to this relativelyhigh redundancy of fifteen copies of a same frame, the frames of theobtained 30 fps video codestream compress well. Therefore, even if onlya lower output bit rate is available, a lot of information can betransmitted in that lower bit rate. On the other hand, in the 15 fpsWAMI to 30 fps video codestream case, one frame is only repeated twiceframe. Hence, a temporal compression to a lower bit rate may degrade thequality of the video codestream. Hence a user may not be able to achieveas good a temporal compression as in the 2 fps to 30 fps case. In orderto make the 30 fps video codestream obtained from the 15 fps WAMI appearas good as the 30 fps video codestream obtained from the 2 fps WAMI, thebit rate of the encoded video codestream may have to be increased.

In one embodiment, the video codestreams can be multiplexed using theISO/IEC 13818-1 standard for multiplexing MPEG-2 transport videocodestreams, as shown at 96. For example, a video codestream can beencoded as an MPEG2 transport stream (MPEG2 TS), as shown at 97. Thevideo MPEG2 TS comprises a program. A description of the program can befound in the ISO/IEC 13818-1 standard. In one embodiment, the programincludes the video codestream of AOIs from WAMI frames, encoded usingthe H.264 codec or MPEG2 codec, key length value or KLV metadataassociated with each WAMI frame, audio codestream, close captioned data,or timing information as required by standard MPEG2 TS, or anycombination of two or more thereof. In one embodiment a plurality ofvideo codestreams that are MPEG2 TS with one program can be multiplexed,as shown at 98. Each video codestream program can be interleaved withprograms from other MPEG2 TS video codestreams to generate a multiplexedMPEG2 TS in accordance with, for example, ISO/IEC 13818-1 standard. Thedemultiplexing process may also be implemented in accordance with ademultiplexing procedure using ISO/IEC 13818-1 standard.

With respect to timing information, each WAMI frame is provided with atime of acquisition. The time of acquisition can be stored as part ofKLV metadata for each V₁ as shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, as shown inFIG. 7, each WAMI AOI video stream V₁ is encoded at a known frame rateand bit rate. Therefore, after demultiplexing, the video codestream canbe played back at the encoded playback rate. The video codestream canalso be played back at any other playback rate that the client desires.

Although in the above description certain types of formats such as MPEG2format, protocols or standards such as ISO/IEC 13818-1 standard arereferred to in the description of some embodiments of the invention, asit can be appreciated the present invention is not in anyway limited tothese formats, procedures, or protocols but can encompass other types offormats, procedures or protocols.

Although the various steps of the method(s) are described in the aboveparagraphs as occurring in a certain order, the present application isnot bound by the order in which the various steps occur. In fact, inalternative embodiments, the various steps can be executed in an orderdifferent from the order described above.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration based on what is currently considered to be the mostpractical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that suchdetail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limitedto the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to covermodifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood thatthe present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one ormore features of any embodiment can be combined with one or morefeatures of any other embodiment.

Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occurto those of skill in the art, it is not desired to limit the inventionto the exact construction and operation described herein. Accordingly,all suitable modifications and equivalents should be considered asfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed:
 1. A method of providing a combined video codestreambased on multiple areas-of-interest video codestreams, the methodcomprising: generating, by a computer system, a first video codestreamfrom a plurality of images, the first video codestream comprising afirst plurality of areas-of-interest selected from the plurality ofimages, each area-of-interest in the first plurality ofareas-of-interest of the first video codestream being selected from adifferent image in the plurality of images, the first video codestreamhaving a first frame rate; generating, by the computer system, one ormore second video codestreams from the plurality of images, each of theone or more second video codestreams having a second frame rate andcomprising a second plurality of areas-of-interest selected from theplurality of images, each area-of-interest in the second plurality ofareas-of-interest of the respective second video codestream beingselected from a different image in the plurality of images; generating,by the computer system, a combined video codestream such that thecombined video codestream comprises a version of the first videocodestream and a version of the second video codestream; andtransmitting, by the computer system, the combined video codestream. 2.The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of imagesis a large format image.
 3. The method according to claim 3, whereineach of the large format images is at least 10,000 by 9,600 pixels. 4.The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the combined videocodestream comprises generating the combined video codestream such thatthe combined video codestream has a frame rate that is substantiallyequal to a sum of the first frame rate and the one or more second framerates.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating thecombined video codestream comprises generating the combined videocodestream such that the combined video codestream has a frame rate thatis less than a sum of the first frame rate and the one or more secondframe rates.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating thecombined video codestream comprises using a multiplexer to combine atleast a portion of the first video codestream and at least a portion ofthe second video codestream to generate the combined video codestream.7. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the combinedvideo codestream comprises transmitting the combined video codestream toa demultiplexer via a network.
 8. The method according to claim 1,wherein transmitting the combined video codestream comprisestransmitting, via a network, the combined video codestream to ademultiplexer at a location remote from a location of the computersystem.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the firstvideo codestream comprises generating the first video codestream suchthat the first plurality of areas-of-interest of the first videocodestream is located at a first pixel location of the plurality ofimages, and wherein generating the second video codestream comprisesgenerating the second video codestream such that each of the secondpluralities of areas-of-interest of the one or more second videocodestreams is located at one or more second pixel locations of theplurality of images, the one or more second pixel locations beingdifferent than the first pixel location.
 10. The method according toclaim 9, further comprising: receiving, by the computer system, arequest from a client computer during the transmission of the combinedvideo codestream, the request comprising one or more spatial parametersrelated to one or more of the first video codestream or of the one ormore second video codestreams; and adjusting, by the computer system,based on the one or more spatial parameters, a pixel location of one ormore of the first plurality of areas-of-interest or of the secondpluralities of areas-of-interest during the transmission of the combinedvideo codestream.
 11. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving, by the computer system, a request from a clientcomputer, the request comprising one or more start times for one or moreareas-of-interest, wherein, for generating one or more of the firstvideo codestream or of the one or more second video codestreams, one ormore of the first plurality of areas-of-interest or of the secondpluralities of areas-of-interest is selected from the plurality ofimages based on the one or more start times.
 12. The method according toclaim 1, wherein one or more of the first frame rate or of the secondframe rates are different than a frame rate at which the plurality ofimages was captured.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein eachof the first plurality of areas-of-interest of the first videocodestream and each of the second pluralities of areas-of-interest ofthe one or more second video codestreams have a size substantially equalto a size of a display device at which each of the respective videocodestreams is displayed.
 14. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe combined video codestream is generated based on an ISO/IEC 13818-1standard.
 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combinedvideo codestream has a third frame rate, the method further comprising:receiving, by the computer system, a request from a client computerduring the transmission of the combined video codestream, the requestcomprising an indication to adjust one or more of the first frame rateor of the second frame rates; and adjusting, by the computer system, thethird frame rate of the combined video codestream based on the indicatedadjustment.
 16. A system for providing a combined video codestreamcomprising multiple areas-of-interest, the system comprising: one ormore processors programmed to execute one or more computer programinstructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:generate a first video codestream from a plurality of images, the firstvideo codestream comprising a first plurality of areas-of-interestselected from the plurality of images, each area-of-interest in thefirst plurality of areas-of-interest of the first video codestream beingselected from a different image in the plurality of images, the firstvideo codestream having a first frame rate; generate one or more secondvideo codestreams from the plurality of images, each of the one or moresecond video codestreams having a second frame rate and comprising asecond plurality of areas-of-interest selected from the plurality ofimages, each area-of-interest in the second plurality ofareas-of-interest of the respective second video codestream beingselected from a different image in the plurality of images; generate acombined video codestream such that the combined video codestreamcomprises at least a portion of the first video codestream and at leasta portion of the second video codestream; and transmit the combinedvideo codestream.
 17. A method of providing multiple areas-of-interestvideo codestreams from a combined video codestream, the methodcomprising: requesting, by a client computer, playback of a plurality ofvideo codestreams at a plurality of displays; receiving, by the clientcomputer, a combined video codestream comprising a first videocodestream and a second video codestream, the combined video codestreamhaving a frame rate greater than respective frame rates of a version ofthe first video codestream and a version of the second video codestreamfrom which the combined video codestream is based, the first videocodestream comprising areas-of-interests that are each from a differentone of a plurality of images, the second video codestream comprisingareas-of-interests that are each from a different one of the pluralityof images; extracting, by a demultiplexer in communication with theclient computer, the first video codestream and the second videocodestream from the combined video codestream; and playing, by theclient computer at the respective frame rates, the first videocodestream at a first display and the second video codestream at asecond display.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:requesting, by the client computer, during the receipt of the combinedvideo codestream, an adjustment to one or more of the first frame rateor of the second frame rate, wherein, responsive to the requestedadjustment, the frame rate of the combined video codestream subsequentto the requested adjustment is different than the frame rate of thecombined codestream prior to the adjustment request, and wherein,responsive to the requested adjustment, a given video codestreamextracted from the combined video subsequent to the requested adjustmenthas a frame rate different than the frame rate of the given videocodestream extracted from the combined video prior to the requestedadjustment.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: requesting,by the client computer, during the receipt of the combined videocodestream, an adjustment to a given video codestream to be extractedfrom the combined video codestream, wherein, responsive to the requestedadjustment, areas-of-interest of the given video codestream extractedfrom the combined video codestream subsequent to the requestedadjustment reflects a different pixel location within the plurality ofimages than a pixel location of the areas-of-interest of the given videocodestream prior to requesting the adjustment.
 20. The method accordingto claim 17, further comprising: requesting, by the client computer,during the receipt of the combined video codestream, a start time forone or more areas-of-interest, wherein, responsive to the requestedstart time, areas-of-interest of a given video codestream extracted fromthe combined video codestream subsequent to the requested start timereflects a different starting image of the plurality of images or adifferent pixel location within the plurality of images than a startingimage or pixel location, respectively, of the given video codestreamprior to requesting the start time.